CALDWELL, Idaho — The Caldwell School District is exploring new school safety options — including creating its own police force — after going without school resource officers this school year.
The district turned to private security firm Eagle Eye after a failed levy last May rendered them unable to keep their school resource officers.
"They would be different than our current security officers that we have now. So they would be able to enforce laws and do policing and things like that," said district spokesperson Jessica Watts.
Watts says the proposal is up for discussion after the director of student safety was asked to explore potential new enforcement options. One concern with previous school resource officers was their inconsistent presence on campus.
"Sometimes they have training that they need to attend, or they get called to other calls in the community, and so that leaves them not at our schools, so this would kind of allow us to have those SROs around our school campuses," Watts said.
States like Texas and Florida already have district-led police forces.
"It goes to the logistics of it on how it would look like here in Caldwell, you know, the funding sources and things like that," Watts said.
The Caldwell Police Department told Idaho News 6: "Our priority has always been the safety of Caldwell's children, and we support an effort that furthers that goal."
With the passing of a levy in November and a state grant, the district will have two school resource officers through the Caldwell department this fall.